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Chris Tucker’s Funniest Movie Roles

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Several comedians kept the 90s and 2000s filled with non-stop laughter, and Chris Tucker was one of them. He began to make his mark in 1992 when he performed on the HBO comedy Def Comedy Jam. This short stint would eventually open doors for his film debut and mainstream success. Although he’s appeared in crime thrillers and drams, Chris Tucker’s movie roles often utilize his unmatched comedic chops.

In 1995, Tucker starred alongside Ice Cube in Friday, which has grown to become a cult classic favorite. Despite his iconic role as Smokey, he famously turned down $12 million to appear in the sequel because he didn’t “want to represent everyone smokin’ weed.” Ice Cube enlisted Epps for Next Friday instead — a move that Cube deemed a blessing in disguise, claiming Epps to be a funnier comedian than Tucker. After the success of Rush Hour in 1998, Tucker became a household name and one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars.

His career also features numerous hosting performances. Tucker has hosted three NAACP Awards ceremonies, as well as the BET Awards in 2013. He has also appeared in several music videos of major stars, from Mariah Carey, to Michael Jackson, and Tupac Shakur. At the heart of it all, Tucker is a comedian, and these are the 7 funniest roles he’s taken on in movies.

7. House Party 3

House Party 3 was released in 1994 and features a large ensemble cast of popular African American stars. Chris Tucker made his official film debut as Johnny Booze in the comedy. House Party 3 served as the third in the five-part franchise. After stealing the scene in Def Comedy Jam, Tucker was tapped to appear in the star-studded film and he didn’t disappoint. Even though he had a minor role, Tucker and his character Johnny quickly became a fan favorite.

Read More: Faizon Love Convinced Chris Tucker To Do “Rush Hour” & Denounces Robert Townsend

6. Rush Hour 3

Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are a titan duo, thanks to the Rush Hour movies. In 2007, Inspector Lee and Detective Carter returned with their usual formula of slapstick action and hilarious moments. Much like the previous two installments, Rush Hour 3 was a huge financial success, and Tucker earned a staggering $25 million for his role in the movie. Rush Hour 3 saw the duo heading to Paris to uncover a secret relating to the Chinese triads. You may not laugh as loud as in the previous movies, but Chris Tucker’s comedic timing is still a standout. For several years, Chan and Tucker have been in talks to reprise their roles in a fourth installment. 

5. Money Talks 

Money Talks was released in 1997 to lukewarm reviews. However, Tucker was as funny as ever in the action comedy. He starred alongside Charlie Sheen as a car wash hustler named Franklin who owed a mobster money. Sheen took on the role of James Russell, an investigative reporter and Franklin’s ticket out of prison. Money Talks became a huge commercial success upon its release, despite the critical panning. However, the movie also planted the seed for Tucker’s relationship with director Brett Ratner. This partnership on Money Talks led to Chris Tucker’s starring role in the Rush Hour movies. 

Read More: Films That Have Influenced Hip-Hop

4. Rush Hour 2

After the overwhelmingly positive reception of Rush Hour in 1998, Tucker’s career reached new commercial heights. As a result, he notably negotiated a whopping $20 million salary for the sequel. It all proved to be a winning strategy, however, because Rush Hour 2 became an even bigger commercial success than its predecessor. Chris Tucker’s list of movies he’s starred in has been financially profitable, but Rush Hour 2 takes the cake. It is the highest-grossing movie in his catalog. As expected, Tucker kept the jokes coming in the popular sequel. 

3. Silver Linings Playbook

Silver Linings Playbook is the most critically acclaimed movie in Chris Tucker’s filmography. Although Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence were the main stars, Tucker’s comedic supporting role was praised. The comedy-drama was especially heartwarming for the actor’s fans and well-wishers because it was his first film appearance in half a decade. In Silver Linings Playbook, Tucker starred as Danny McDaniels, a happy-go-lucky man with anxiety disorder. With limited screen time, Tucker still delivered his witty charms that delighted many viewers.

Read More: Chris Tucker Fondly Remembers Working With Bernie Mac & John Witherspoon On “Friday”

2. Rush Hour

In 1998, Chris Tucker was propelled to great fame off the success of Rush Hour. Tucker quickly became a household name after starring in the hilarious buddy cop comedy. Alongside Jackie Chan, the actor delivered several hilarious moments that made for timeless comedy gold. Besides becoming a critical darling, Rush Hour also performed really well at the box office. This commercial success eventually led to the release of Rush Hour 2.

1. Friday

While Friday was not a box office powerhouse like the films in the Rush Hour franchise, it’s one of the most acclaimed of all Chris Tucker’s movies. The buddy stoner comedy stars Ice Cube and Tucker as a pair of slackers who wind up owing a drug dealer money. Friday marked a shift in Hip Hop movies of the 90s. By providing a more comedic approach to the genre, Ice Cube served to show a softer and lighter side to the portrayal of the hood in film. 

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Kanye West and Ice Cube Reconcile After Controversial Anti-Semitic Comments

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Kanye West

Rapper Kanye West and legendary rapper Ice Cube have come together to address their differences following Kanye’s controversial remarks on the Drink Champs podcast that were deemed anti-semitic. The two met face-to-face at Ice Cube’s home, engaging in a discussion to resolve the issue. Kanye had previously claimed that Ice Cube’s social media posts inspired […]

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Yankee Stadium Will Host A ‘Hip-Hop 50 Live’ Show Featuring Run-DMC, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, And Many More

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This August, Yankee Stadium will host Hip-Hop 50 Live, a star-studded concert paying homage to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. To call the lineup “star-studded” would be doing it an injustice; it’s fair to say that the names billed include nothing short of hip-hop legends. Headlined by rap pioneers Run-DMC, the lineup includes Common, Eve, Fat Joe, Ghostface Killah, Ice Cube, Lil Kim, Lil Wayne, Lupe Fiasco, Remy Ma, Slick Rick, Snoop Dogg, T.I., Trina, and more.

Hip-hop pioneers Grandmaster Caz, Kool Herc, Melle Mel, and Roxanne Shante will headline a Pillars of Hip-Hop set, while Eve, Kim, Remy, and Trina will front a Queens Of Hip-Hop set. DJs such as Battlecat, Clark Kent, Mannie Fresh, and Marley Marl will spin, as well.

The event is billed for August 11, 2023 — which is what’s remembered as hip-hop’s official 50th birthday, the anniversary of the Kool Herc-led block party widely recognized as the moment the culture officially gelled into the foundation of what came after. Tickets go on sale this Thursday, June 8.

In a statement to Rolling Stone, Run said, “I am honored to hit the stage in the Bronx, the birthplace of Hip Hop and celebrate all of my heroes,” while his partner-in-rhyme DMC added, “August is Hip Hop’s 50th birthday! So ’Up in the Bronx’ where it all started we will be celebrating this historic moment in history! I am honored to pay tribute to the culture that allowed this little shy kid from Queens to grow up and become The Mighty King of Rock! Thank you Hip Hop!!!”

You can find more info here.

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N.W.A.’s “Efil4Zaggin” Turns 32

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Ice Cube’s sudden departure from N.W.A. shook up the hip-hop world. Everything about his stoic and hardened image represented what the group was all about. Straight Outta Compton was uncompromising and groundbreaking, an album that had all of America talking. The album only solidified how divided the working class was from the bourgeoisie. Some hailed the project as a necessary outcry, while others demeaned its violent uptakes on tracks such as “F**k Da Police.” In essence, the Compton group had proved hip-hop’s value as a powerful source of messaging.

How would the group’s follow-up live up to the radical change that Straight Outta Compton instilled in rap? In addition, the loss of a key member was bound to tip the balance of the chemistry that the group developed. Even with the modern-day Brockhampton, it took the group years to adapt after losing Ameer Vann. Ice Cube’s departure from N.W.A. was anything but smooth-going. The two sides had embarked on a public spat that ended up in the press. Also, the Los Angeles Police Department’s racial profiling and officer misconduct against Rodney King erupted riots throughout Los Angeles.

Efil4Zaggin Is The Darkest Of N.W.A.’s Albums

With N.W.A. remaining on the front page in the three years since Straight Outta Compton, fans were clamoring to see how the group would artistically respond to their numerous controversies with Efil4Zaggin. The project wouldn’t deliver on the charts in the same manner that their debut did. However, Efil4Zaggin was still a defining statement from N.W.A. In contrast to the more measured Straight Outta Compton, Efil4Zaggin is the darker of N.W.A.’s two albums. The project is an electric rush of death metal and hip-hop. The diminished N.W.A. is pissed off; they want you to know it.

Efil4Zaggin is purposefully painful in every sense of the word. Even if N.W.A. didn’t want to admit it, they were hurt behind the bravado of their anger directed at Ice Cube. Their sophomore (and final) project aims to instill that pain into their audience. It wouldn’t be out of line to say that N.W.A. had gone utterly insane at this point. This sentiment is clear before even hearing the project. All it takes is a peek at the track-listing, featuring “Kill A Hooker” and “Find ‘Em, F**k ‘Em, and Flee.” It’s also apparent in the disturbing lyricism, with Eazy-E being noticeably enraged from start to finish. “Approach to Danger” mirrors a harrowing Michael Myers Halloween film, blending sampled screaming with screeching guitar riffs and synths.

Multiple Songs Diss Ice Cube’s Departure

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Rappers Stacy Phillips, MC JB (Juana Burns) and Baby D. (Dania Birks) of JJ Fad poses for photos with rappers MC Ren (Lorenzo Jerald Patterson), Ice Cube (O’Shea Jackson), Dr. Dre (Andre Romelle Young) and Eazy-E (Eric Lynn Wright) of N.W.A. backstage after their performance at the Genesis Convention Center in Gary, Indiana in July 1989. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)

Of course, a primary narrative of the record is attacking Ice Cube‘s manner of leaving N.W.A. While the group has reunited in the long term, the initial fallout was an iconic moment of hostility within hip-hop. Ice Cube felt he was being cheated out of royalties from N.W.A.’s record label at the time while also having an underlying sentiment that he could achieve more in a solo arena. “Message to BA” calls out Ice Cube explicitly for his departure. However, “Real N***az” is the most directly damning message against their past member, as they violently depict what they would do to Cube if he ever came near them. MC Ren angrily spits, “Only reason n***as pick up your record is cause they thought it was us.”

Efil4Zaggin Laid The Foundation For G-Funk

While many N.W.A. fans associate Efil4Zaggin with Ice Cube’s fallout and its subsequent diss tracks, its sonic departures and growth on the part of the remaining members are more than worth nothing. Ice Cube’s departure left ample room for Eazy-E to expand his pen game, opening up about his darkest fantasies behind menacing beats. In addition, Dr. Dre and DJ Yella were subtly laying down the foundations for G-Funk on Efil4Zaggin. “Automobile” exists in the framework of a P-Funk sample, a sound that N.W.A.’s Dr. Dre would later expand on and trademark with future albums. Their final album departed from the Gangsta rap subgenre they popularized on Straight Outta Compton, striding into a territory of Halloween-esque grime.

If not for the tragic passing of Eazy-E, the Ice Cube-less N.W.A. were still forming the makings of a unique subgenre that they could’ve continued to expand on with future albums. Months before Eazy-E’s death, the trio Eazy, Cube, and Dre even discussed getting back together and creating another album. Efil4Zaggin was a platform on which the group’s members would leap off of, propelling hip-hop into its golden age of sound. Dr. Dre would expand on the early G-Funk experimentation of the project. Embarking on his solo career, the sound had evolved on The Chronic and Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle. Efil4Zaggin set the platform for the next decade of WestCoast sound.

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Snoop Dogg Agrees That Ice Cube Has The Best Diss Track Ever: ‘Nothing Comes Close’

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Recently, Ice Cube declared that one of his songs is the best diss track ever, and while that’s a big claim to make, it turns out that Snoop Dogg agrees.

In an interview on the Earn Your Leisure podcast, Cube and the hosts discussed his top diss tracks. When it was said that Cube’s “No Vaseline” is “one of” the best ever, Cube interjected, “…the top,” adding, “And it’s not even close.” He went off to list some other good ones, saying, “I mean, I would go with, you know, ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ [by Tupac] is a good one. ‘Ether’ [by Nas] is dope. I would go with ‘The Bridge Is Over’ [by Boogie Down Productions], and I don’t know, I think I gotta go with ‘Let’s Go’ [Kool Moe Dee].”

Snoop later agreed, commenting on the video, “Hands down he does. Nothing comes close.”

“No Vaseline” sees Cube going after his former group NWA and their manager, Jerry Heller. Lyrics include, “The N****s With Attitudes? Who you foolin’? / Y’all n****s just phony / I put that on my mama and my dead homies.”

Cube said back in 2021, “[NWA] came with another couple of little disses. So I said, ‘OK man, I’m tired of this. I’m going to end this real quick. We gon’ set it all the way off.’ So that’s when I wrote ‘No Vaseline’ and recorded it. I put it on that ‘Cinderfella’ track, that Dana Dane track… we flipped it, and it became a smash.”

Who Is Yo-Yo? Compton’s Femcee Rap Legend

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Yolanda Whittaker, more commonly known as Yo-Yo, is an American rapper and actress from Compton, California. However, to deduce her as solely an MC would be an undersell of her talents. She’s better defined as an actress, educator, philanthropist, and Grammy-nominated rapper. In February, Yo-Yo even partnered with AspireTV for a new cooking series, Downright Delicious with Yo-Yo. Born on August 1971, she was thrown into a chaotic environment from a young age. However, she also began to take notice of the burgeoning hip-hop scene throughout the area. By the time she was 18 years old, Ice Cube had started to take note of her unique flow and straightforward narratives. In fact, Atlantic Records had to wait for Yo-Yo to graduate high school to sign her.

The narrative meaning encompassing Yo-Yo’s sound was aimed at enhancing women’s empowerment. She first appeared as a guest on Ice Cube’s 1990 debut album AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, contributing a verse to “It’s a Man’s World.” Cube would return the favor on 1991’s “You Can’t Play with My Yo-Yo.” Narratively, the track entrenches the listener into Yo-Yo’s plans around woman power in the male-dominated landscape of West Coast rap. Rapping over a slowed sample of Earth Wind & Fire’s “Devotion,” the Compton classic sees Yo-Yo rightfully hype herself up alongside Ice Cube. She told ABC News, “The song has a lot of femininity, adult femininity in it, and it’s powerful to me because it’s everything that I am.”

Black Pearl Solidified Yo-Yo’s Notoriety

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK–FEBRUARY 23: Rapper Yo-Yo (aka Yolanda Whitaker) appears in a portrait taken on February 23, 1992 at a Billboard Magazine Grammy Party in New York City. (Photo by Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

Yo-Yo’s debut album, Make Way for the Motherlode, was released in 1991. However, it would take her time to grow into the mother of West Coast rap she’s associated with today. “At first, it was just like, ‘Wow. Mama, I made it,’” she told HipHopDX. “I’m not asking, ‘Can I buy a car?’ I’m buying a car. ‘I don’t have to put up with your stuff, I’m moving out.’ But after a while, I would say certain stuff in interviews and didn’t know what I was saying, you know? I was so fake. I was trying to be something that I wasn’t instead of just allowing it to take.” However, her sophomore effort Black Pearl expressed significant artistic and personal growth.

Black Pearl solidified her influence in the hip-hop industry. At the time, gangsta rap was inherently focused on the violence and Black plight surrounding impoverished communities. Ice Cube, Tupac, and Dr. Dre were all impactfully raging at the world around them. With Black Pearl, listeners resonated with her steadfast focus on uplifting themes, a stark contrast to the negativity that hip-hop heads had become accustomed to. Grounded in hard raps and thudding beats, many regard it as her best project. However, she would release other successful albums such as You Better Ask Somebody, Total Control, and Ebony.

She Was In A Relationship With Tupac

Speaking of Tupac, the two would meet in a recording studio in the 1990s. Continuing to bump into each other while on tour, their relationship would become romantic for a time. Yo-Yo told EURWeb Spotlight, “We were in love and we loved each other until the day he died. Pac became like a brother to me. We were just two people on the road who found each other, fell in love with each other. We spent many nights on the road together. He wasn’t perfect, nor was he trying to be. He wasn’t afraid to talk about his community, about his parents, stuff that people don’t what to hear about, stuff people don’t want to talk about. People don’t want to talk about their truth. That kind of love he had for truth made me love him more.”

Yo-Yo’s Influence On Women’s Empowerment Is Beyond Music

By 1995, she had begun visualizing a life outside of the scope of hip-hop. Her musical career would take a backseat in favor of her acting career. No longer solely a rapper, Yo-Yo made appearances in the film Panther (1995), the television show New York Undercover (1994), and a recurring role on Martin (1992). In addition, she went back to school to obtain an associate degree in business at Bergen Community College. Reflecting on the experience, she told AARP, “I did not have the skills of business even though I had been in this music business for so long. Going back to school gave me confidence and that was my first step to do something for me.”

In “You Can’t Play with My Yo-Yo,” she references the Intelligent Black Woman’s Coalition. The mastermind behind the IBWC’s core purpose revolves around standing up for Black woman’s rights and advocating for an end to gun violence. Her influence lies beyond hip-hop verses, advocating for creative rights. In 1994, she testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about whether the government should require rating labels on gangsta rap. Additionally, she’s enhanced her love for teaching by founding the Yo-Yo School of Hip-Hop. In essence, Yo-Yo is one of the pioneering influences of West Coast hip-hop and feminine empowerment.

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Ice Cube Clapped Back At A Troll Over ‘Clickbait’ Comments About Him Telling ‘Black People To Vote For Republicans’

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Whether or not you agree, Ice Cube isn’t afraid to share his opinions on everything under the sun. But he won’t stand for his words being misinterpreted. One social media user found out the hard way after the mogul channeled the “No Vaseline” version of himself to clap back.

Following the “It Was A Good Day” rapper’s comments about the Democratic Party’s relationship with Black people, one Twitter user wrote, “Ice Cube only shows up every four years to tell Black people to vote for Republicans who are openly suppressing the Black vote, whitewashing/banning Black History, and killing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs that support Black folks. Hard pass!”

The entertainer swiftly responded, quoting the user’s initial post, adding, “I never told yo’ Black ass who to vote for, so stop lying and get that ‘clickbait’ out’cha mouth.”

In 2020, the producer received backlash for meeting with former President Donald Trump leading supporters to believe he would be throwing his support behind his campaign. Later he was in talks to meet with Joe Biden to discuss racial equality. However, during an appearance on the Full Send Podcast hosted by Kyle Forgeard, Cube set the record straight about those encounters.

“I never supported Trump or Biden,” he said. “I never asked to speak to the Republicans or the Democrats. I created a document called, ‘The Contract with Black America’ that spelled out a lot of different issues that we believe were the reasons why [there] was so much unrest after George Floyd was killed.”

Ice Cube Drags A Troll That Called Him Out For Republican Ties

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Ice Cube engaged in a fiery exchange with an internet troll who accused the rapper of promoting Republican voting. On Monday, an individual, evidently not a fan of the West Coast icon, took to Twitter to criticize Cube. They claimed that he only appeared “every four years” to encourage black people to vote for Republicans who “openly suppress the black vote.” Spotting the tweet, Cube swiftly fired back at the criticism. “I never told yo’ Black ass who to vote for,” the rapper said. “So stop lying and get that ‘click bait’ out’cha mouth.”

Over the years, the former N.W.A. rapper has been actively involved in political matters. In 2020, Ice Cube faced intense scrutiny when Katrina Pierson, an advisor to Donald Trump’s campaign, publicly acknowledged his assistance. Apparently, he took part in the former president’s Platinum Plan. Subsequently, Cube had to do damage control by confirming his collaboration with Trump. However, he was aiming to advance his Contract With Black America (CWBA) initiative.

Read More: Ice Cube’s Greatest Acting Roles

Ice Cube Will Work With Whoever He Needs To In Order To Help The Black Community

At that time, Cube tweeted, “Let me get this straight, I get the president of the United States to agree to put over half a trillion dollars of capital in the Black Community (without an endorsement) and n***as are mad at me? Have a nice life.” Despite the backlash, Cube later revealed that he was approached by Joe Biden’s camp after Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. The new president was seeking his support in implementing the CWBA initiative. Cube emphasized that the ultimate goal was to pressure candidates to incorporate elements of his plan, which received widespread agreement, into their agendas.

In addition to his ties with Republicans, Ice Cube has faced longstanding accusations of antisemitism. He has been an outspoken supporter of Louis Farrakhan, a prominent religious leader known for his antisemitic views. In 2015, Cube was accused of allegedly instructing his entourage to assault a rabbi. Moreover, during the peak of the pandemic in 2020, Cube drew criticism for sharing memes that implied Jewish people were responsible for causing disruptions in the country. Cube defended these memes, referring to them as “pro-Black.” What do you think of Ice Cube’s response to the troll? Let us know in the comments!

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[WATCH] Ice Cube Says “No Vaseline” Is the Best Diss Song of All Time

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According to former N.W.A. frontman Ice Cube, he has the best diss track ever in the history of Hip Hop.

In a recent interview n Earn Your Leisure, Cube was asked to name his top five diss tracks, and he wasted no time mentioning “No Vaseline,” which he called “the top battle song ever” and that “it’s not even close.” He mentioned his other four diss tracks, which were made by Kool Moe Dee, BDP, Nas, and 2Pac.

“I mean, I would go with, you know, ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ is a good one,” he said. “‘Ether’ is dope. I would go with ‘The Bridge Is Over,’ and I don’t know, I think I gotta go with ‘Let’s Go.’”

Released in 1991, “No Vaseline” appeared on Ice Cube’s second solo album Death Certificate. Dr. Dre left N.W.A shortly after its release, leading to N.W.A.’s disbandment.

See the interview in its entirety below.

The post [WATCH] Ice Cube Says “No Vaseline” Is the Best Diss Song of All Time appeared first on The Source.

Ice Cube’s ‘No Vaseline’ Is The Best Diss Song Of All Time, According To Him, And ‘It’s Not Even Close’

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Before your today’s rappers’ trigger fingers became Twitter fingers, emcees would air out their grievances in the booth. Tupac’s 1996 track “Hit’ Em Up” has reentered the music conversation, thanks to a hilarious viral reenactment video on TikTok. But rapper-turned-mogul Ice Cube wants it to be known that he recorded the best diss song of all time.

During an interview with the Earn Your Leisure podcast, the “Today Was A Good Day” rapper listed his top five hip-hop diss tracks. Atop this list was his 1991 song, “No Vaseline.”

“I mean, I would go with, you know, ‘Hit ‘Em Up’ is a good one,” he said. “‘Ether’ is dope. I would go with ‘The Bridge Is Over,’ and I don’t know, I think I gotta go with ‘Let’s Go,’” replied the entertainer paying homage to the tracks released by 2Pac, Nas, Boogie Down Productions, and Kool Moe Dee.

Cube’s track, fueled by his anger for his former N.W.A. groupmates, appeared on his sophomore album, Death Certificate.

The musician has spoken at length about the song, even telling The Breakfast Club in 2021, “[N.W.A] came with another couple of little disses. So I said, ‘Okay, man, I’m tired of this. I’m going to end this real quick. We gon’ set it all the way off.’ So that’s when I wrote ‘No Vaseline’ and recorded it. I put it on that ‘Cinderfella’ track, that Dana Dane track… we flipped it, and it became a smash.”

When reflecting on whether or not he thought the song was the cause behind the group’s final separation, he remarked, “And I didn’t know that at the time they were already fragmented, breaking up anyway. So, that just — I guess knocked them down like bowling pins.”

Watch the full interview above.